Chapter 7

Kíli slowly woke up from his slumber and noticed his blankets were pulled up until his shoulders.

"I'm certain I didn't pull them on top of me before I fell asleep. But maybe I did pull them up in my sleep." He tought. "It has gotten colder."

Kíli sat up in his bed and shivered. He looked at the window, wich was opened. It was also growing dark outside already.

"I really can't have slept this long." Kíli muttered to himself while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

He pushed the blankets back, stepped out of the bed and walked to the door. Opening it, he walked in the hallway and went to the kitchen.

Dís looked up when the door opened and smiled as Kíli walked in.

"Did you sleep well, sweetie?" She asked him. Kíli nodded.

"How do you know I was sleeping?" Kíli replied.

"Fíli went to look for you after you ran out of the kitchen a couple of hours ago and found you asleep in your room. He came back here afterwards and told me."

Kíli looked around the room, but his brother wasn't there. Dís noticed him looking around.

"Fíli went to his room a little bit after he found you sleeping." Dís said, knowing who her youngest was looking for.

How could she not know. Fíli and Kíli always had been inseparable. Where one of them was, the other one could be found as well. And if they weren't near each other at times, they would eventually find a way to be so.

Kíli turned his gaze towards the door to the hallway. He didn't want anything else right now then to talk with his brother.

"Let him be for a while, Kíli. I think he wants to be alone right now."

Kíli looked back at his mother in disbelieve.

"But…"

"I mean it, Kíli."

At seeing his mother's stern look, Kíli casted his eyes down and said nothing.

They remained silent for a very long time, so Dís started to set the table.

"Mom?" Kíli suddenly said.

"Yes? What is it?" She asked him.

"I"m sorry I didn't answer your question when I got home. I'm sorry if I made you upset."

Dís sighed and turned around again to look at Kíli.

"I'm not angry at you, Kíli. I worried a bit when you ran out. That I surely did. But…"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." Kíli answered, interrupting her.

"I know you didn't sweetie. Fíli explained everything what happened to me."

"When did he…" Kíli started asking, but stopped mid sentence.

"He told me while you were asleep. What happened made you really upset, didn't it?"

Kíli did only nod. Dís slowly walked over. Embracing him, she registered he was really tense. She started rubbing his back. After doing this for a while, she could feel her youngest son relax a little. She could only smile at that. Already since he was a small child doing this always helped when he was scared or sad. And now it seemed Kíli still liked to cuddle like that, especially when he's upset about something.

"He has grown so much already. But I hope this won't change for a very long time." Dís thought to herself.

She released him so she could look at Kíli.

"I really think you should talk with Fíli later however. He feels really guilty." She said, looking closely at her youngest son.

"Why?" He asked in wonder.

"He blames himself for what his friends said to you. He thinks you're angry at him because of that." She explained.

"But I'm not! I can't believe he's really thinking that."

"Then tell him that later, alright. I'm sure it will make him feel better." Dís said.

"Oh ok… Mom? Why is uncle not home yet?" He asked, chosing to change the topic.

"I don't know." She answered.

Come to think of it, Thorin was never late. Not without coming home for dinner and telling them he had some work to finish at the forge still. And now it was time for dinner and there still was no sign of him, wich surprised her.

"Would you want to do something for me?" She asked to Kíli.

"Ofcourse!" Came his reply.

"Can you go to forge and tell your uncle that dinner's ready?"

"Sure." He said, walking to the kitchendoor and walking in the hallway.

"Thank you, my sweet boy." Dís said, smiling at him.

"Now, go on. Dinner's not going to wait!" She told him.

Kíli grinned at that statement and, after opening the front door, started running to the forge as fast as he could. When he reached the forge, Kíli noticed the door was standing open and he could hear his uncle talking to someone. Whoever the customer was, he was certainly late.

"I wonder who that customer is." He thought to himself before he walked inside.

When the last customer had left with his finished order, Thorin sighed and stretched himself out. His muscles were stiff and painfull. He couldn't be more glad the day was over.

Gathering his tools together, he started cleaning them. As he was finished with this he picked up his list with new orders for the next day, sat down and started to sort them out by their urgency. He looked up again when the door opened and stood up to welcome his costumer. Thorin was surprised as he noticed the dwarf that had just entered was dressed in armour.

"Good evening. What can I do for you?" he asked to his unusual customer.

"I came here to ask you for a favour." The dwarf said.

"I am listening." Thorin answered. "But maybe you can first tell me who you are? It isn't usual for someone who serves in the army to come here. Because the army has it's own forge and blacksmith if I remembered correctly."

"Ofcourse, sir." The dwarf said. "I'm Darkhûn. I was assigned a month ago as the new general of the army after the former one retired. Am I correct to assume you are Thorin Oakenshield?"

"You are. I also remember your assignment, for I signed the papers. But I don't think we've met before in person." Thorin replied, stretching out his hand. The other dwarf took it, but clearly wasn't all to comfortable about it. Thorin looked at the dwarf in front of him, before releasing his hand.

"The army indeed has it's own forge. So that's not why I'm here."

"Then why are you here, general? What can I offer the army then?" Thorin questioned.

"Your services, but outside the forge. The army needs a new archery teacher and we heard you are a very skilled archer."

"That depends on what you call skilled." Thorin replied.

"That's why we would like you to show us how skilled you truly are." Darkhûn said. "But we will pay you ofcourse, if you would decide to accept the job."

"I thought the army had it's achery teacher already." Thorin remarked.

"We had. But he resigned two days ago. He found teaching some of the new recruits a waste of his time."

"Uhm, excuse me, but I would like to speak with him." Someone suddenly said.

Both Thorin and the general turned around to see who had spoken. Their eyes fell on Kíli, who was standing near the door. Darkhûn clearly didn't like the interruption.

"You disrespectfull brat! You should know better then to interfere when adults are talking with each other!" He barked.

Kíli walked some steps backwards and closer to door, ready to run. He looked at Thorin, slightly frightened.

"Mind your words, general!" Thorin snapped at the other dwarf. " You are not in the position nor in the right place to put anyone in place like this! Do that to the soldiers who are under your command, but not to the lad!"

Darkhûn looked really surprised at Thorin. He didn't expect to get such an outburst.

"Kíli! Come over here, lad." Thorin called out to the younger dwarf.

Kíli walked over to his uncle, timidly watching the strange dwarf. When Kíli had reached him, Thorin gently laid an arm around his nephew's shoulders. It was clear to him Kíli wasn't at ease with the other dwarf so close. Thorin gave his youngest nephew a reassuring smile before turning his attention back to the dwarf that was standing in front of him.

"You know this brat, sir?" The dwarf said in disbelieve.

Thorin raised his eyebrow.

"Yes, I do. He's my nephew, so I would really apreciate it if you wouldn't speak about him in such a way ever again. Did I make myself clear general?" Thorin replied.

"Ah. Y-yes sir." Darkhûn stammered. "Forgive me."

"We will continue talking about this later. It is getting late and I think we both would like to head home."

"As you wish." The general replied, not all to happy about the quick dismissal. He turned around and marched out of the forge, dissapearing in the night.

Thorin looked down at Kíli, who still was a bit tense.

"It's alright, lad." Thorin said. "Relax. He left and he's not coming back soon."

Kíli relaxed himself a little and stared up at his uncle.

"You're sure?" Kíli asked with a small voice.

Thorin nodded and smiled at him.

"I'm sure. Did your mother send you here?"

This time Kíli nodded.

"She told me to tell you that dinner's ready and that it's not going to wait."

"Well, then we better hurry." Thorin replied, while he picked up his worklist. "I can still finish those at home. Come, let's go home."

Thorin started to walk to the door and Kíli followed him. Once they both were outside, Thorin digged a key out of his pocket and locked the door. He let it slip back in his pocket and started to walk down the path to the house with Kíli walking next to him.

So here I am again!

I hope everyone enjoyed my little prank I did for the 1st of april *grins*

I'm sorry but I really couldn't help it. I really wanted to do something! And some of the reactions I got were so funny!

So I want to thank the one's who made me really laugh that day *wink*

Anyway, this time it's really the next chapter. Hope you enjoy!

-Alicia-